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Fewer pieces but a more complete design

Décor styles are easier to finish in a modest layout

"Living small is often simpler, which is why people are making that decision even if they can afford more space," says House & Home editor Suzanne Dimma. Storage is a priority and even small nooks, like beside a mantle, can become important shelves.

Pale pinks, such as Farrow and Ball's Pink Ground, work well in small spaces.

That was the pronouncement made last month — as it is every December — to a crowd of design cognoscenti, media and high-powered advertising executives about what the well-dressed home will be wearing.

Delivering the decree were style arbiters from what many consider the bible of Canadian interior décor — House & Home magazine.

The highlight of the 2015 Trends Breakfast, held at the Arcadian Court in the Simpson Tower downtown, was editor-in-chief Suzanne Dimma’s presentation on four emerging styles. They are featured in the magazine’s January issue.

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One movement that is exerting increasing influence across the magazine’s pages, she says, is small space living.

“You still see the beautiful, generously sized houses, because we cover the spectrum. But we definitely consider small spaces more than we did before,” says Dimma.

Small footprint spaces make sense on several levels, she says.

“Living small is often simpler, which is why people are making that decision even if they can afford more space. As long as you have lots of storage and make use of every inch, it can work really well.”

Smaller homes can often deliver better design return-on-investment than sprawling houses, suggests Dimma, because they require less of everything — from furniture to accessories.

“You just don’t have to have as much stuff. And I’ve noticed that people with massive houses sometimes have trouble finishing them.

“When you have small space you can complete it and make it work as a whole more easily,” she adds.

Incorporating elements of the trends Dimma predicts will be hot can have a big impact on more intimate and cosy settings.

The looked dubbed “Modern Farmhouse”, which features crisp white walls, barn-inspired architectural features and lots of reclaimed wood, works particularly well in a small space.

“From an interior décor perspective, it’s a really clean palette and minimal, not loaded up with objects,” says Dimma.

Conversely, says Dimma, the British Eclectic look, which pulls together layers of whimsical florals, eccentric accessories and muted pastel paints, such as Farrow and Ball’s Pink Ground — a top pick for 2015 — are also easily translatable into small spaces.

“This look, which is about layers and mixing and matching, relies on the quirk factor, and I find that fairly easy to do in small, cosy spaces, especially if it’s older,” says Dimma.

The Artful Refinement trend — a combination of contemporary with classical or antique — is perfect for condo living, says Dimma, because it’s rooted in the clean, modern lines that define so many of Toronto’s condominium designs.

“After that, it’s really about collecting objects and pieces of furniture that feel like investment pieces or works of arts in themselves,” she adds.

Hardest of all to achieve in smaller space might be what the House & Home team has christened South American Fusion, which features high contrasts, artisanal accessories and colour-soaked textiles, such as throws, rugs and pillows inspired by Frazada, the thick, hand-woven striped textiles from Bolivia that are having their décor moment.

New this year was a video of a makeover of Dimma’s own living room that incorporated elements from each of the trends identified. The idea sprung, she says, from a growing tendency by homeowners to pull new pieces into an existing look rather than recreate a room from scratch.

“People don’t really seem to want to overhaul their houses the same way they may have before,” says Dimma.

“They are more selective, and they’re not splurging quite as much. So they’ll pick one or two things to introduce to freshen the space up.”

Asked to comment on the age-old debate about whether light or dark colours work best for small spaces, Dimma dismisses the notion that there’s a hard-and-fast rule.

“I hear all the time that small spaces should be done in light colours. That’s great if you like bright spaces. But dark and moody can work equally well — it all depends on who you are.”

In fact, says Dimma, embracing personal taste in colour and décor is always a wise ground rule when decorating, regardless of the size of a room.

“Define who you are and what you like. Authenticity — it keeps coming up again and again,” says Dimma. She suggests that people respond best to spaces that have a story to tell, in which the person or family is surrounded with pieces that they love or which have great meaning for them.

“You just know when you walk into a space when someone is being true to themselves. When it’s done from the heart it resonates — and that’s a trend that never goes out of style.”

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